Adam Greenway said the purpose of the recommendation is to enhance communications and to strengthen ties between the Mission Board and Baptist agencies and institutions, not to push any agenda other than missions, evangelism and biblical truth.

LOUISVILLE – The Kentucky Mission Board is again calling on Baptist agencies and institutions to give the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s executive director an ex officio seat on their boards.

That request was officially made a year ago, but went largely unheeded, even though agencies and institutions receive substantial funding from the KBC’s Cooperative Program. Approximately forty cents of every CP dollar remaining in Kentucky is spent on the agencies and institutions.

“This is not a power grab,” said KBC President Chip Hutcheson, speaking to more than 100 members of the Mission Board on May 6. “This is a matter of accountability and an opportunity to build stronger, closer relationships.”

The University of the Cumberland’s board of directors named Chitwood an honorary member. Sunrise Children’s Services made him a non-voting, ex officio board member subject to annual approval.

Chitwood is an invited guest but has not been given a seat on the remaining agency/institution boards: Baptist Healthcare, Campbellsville University, Kentucky Baptist Foundation, the Western Recorder, the Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union and Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.

KBC Administrative Committee Chairman Adam Greenway said Tuesday he’s hopeful the agencies and institutions that haven’t complied will reconsider. “A recent survey revealed that all but eight of the Southern Baptist state conventions require the state executive director to sit as an ex officio board member of any agency or institution supported by Cooperative Program funds. Kentucky is one of the eight.”

Greenway said the purpose of the recommendation is to enhance communications and to strengthen ties between the Mission Board and Baptist agencies and institutions, not to push any agenda other than missions, evangelism and biblical truth.

“It is deeply disturbing and frankly distasteful that there would be any among our tribe who would purport that there is some ulterior motive or some agenda other than that,” Greenway said.